You will be redirected to the new E. J. Ourso College of Business website in 4 seconds
* The site bus.lsu.edu was last updated December 16, 2011 *
Login to PAWS
Baton Rouge, Louisiana |
Partly Cloudy - 86°F
  • Home
  • |
  • Who Am I?
  • |
  • Academics
  • |
  • Centers
  • |
  • College Info
  • |
  • Dean's Office
  • |
  • Departments
  • |
  • Give
  • |
  • MBA
  • |
  • PhD
  • |
  • Research
  • LSU


    • Welcome to the Department of Finance at Louisiana State University's E. J. Ourso College of Business. LSU's Department of Finance offers high quality programs for the development and communication of knowledge in studies related to finance, real estate, risk management and insurance, and business law.

    Our vision is to be recognized as among the top twenty departments of finance at public universities for excellence in the production, dissemination and application of financial knowledge. To this end, our faculty have compiled a record of excellence in research and teaching, creating exciting educational opportunities for our students.

    Whether researching a firm in the SMART Lab, or participating in our Student Managed Investment Fund, or discussing current practices with finance professionals at meetings of our Student Finance Association, our students are able to take full advantage of our innovative, challenging, high quality learning experiences.

    As of 2009, E. J. Ourso College of Business has been named a CFA Program Partner.

    Our Web site will enable you to meet our faculty, view our courses and curricula, and see some of the interesting things we are doing. We hope you enjoy exploring these Web pages.


    Strategic Plan

    Click here to view the Department of Finance Strategic Plan.



    Bachelor of Science in Finance

    Finance is the study of how individuals, businesses, and organizations acquire and utilize capital (i.e. money). Two basic elements of finance include the tradeoff between expected returns and risk and the importance of timing of future cash flows.

    Master of Science in Finance

    The Master of Science program in Finance provides its students with the analytical and communicative skills necessary for effective financial decision making through the application of financial theory and quantitative techniques. With ever-increasing financial globalization and competition for employment in the financial sector, it is crucial that professionals prepare for the increasingly complex world of Finance by building a solid foundation.

    Ph.D. in Business Administration with a Concentration in Finance

    The PhD program in Business Administration with a major in Finance is a research-oriented program designed to prepare students for professions in the academic and business community. The program is an intensive course of study in the theory and empirics of Finance.



    The Department of Finance is dedicated to providing current, applicable research. The faculty of our department are devoted to publication of original scholarly research in investment and portfolio management, capital markets and institutions, and corporate finance, corporate governance, and capital investment.



    Two research centers call the Finance Department home, the Real Estate Research Institute (RERI) and the SMART Lab. The Real Estate Research Institute was formed to encourage, support, and conduct research in real estate. The Securities Markets Analysis Research and Trading Lab provides a high-tech, real-time learning environment for E. J. Ourso College students, faculty and visitors. The SMART Lab recreates a simulated interactive trading floor that allows students the opportunity to gain experience in the fast-paced world of securities analysis, research and trading.





    In April 2009, the SMART Lab served as the setting for the E. J. Ourso College of Business's announcement that its Department of Finance had demonstrated its curriculum met the requirements to be a CFA Institute Program Partner. To earn this distinction, the Department of Finance illustrated to the CFA Institute that its undergraduate and graduate curriculum sufficiently covers the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge and the CFA Institute's ethical and professional standards. An official partnership signing was held in the SMART Lab with CFA Institute University Relations Head Bob McLean, CFA representing the organization.